Winning Anais
by Vicious Ley
Summary: Spike falls for a 19-year-old, who is out of his reach for more reasons than the obvious.
1. The Beginning

The starkest green eyes; the craziest hair known, with numerous piercings and tattoos. Her name was Anais, she was 18 and she was absolutely BEAUTIFUL. The only thing though, she was the friend of the Slayer's sister. Bloody hell.

***

The first time I met Anais, it was about 4 months ago and I was coming home to my crypt, or whatever you want to call it. I was walking towards my front door when I heard rustling from a bush next to my house. 

"Who's there?" I asked the darkness. Rustling was all that answered me. "I said, who's there!?" This time a girl stepped out of the bush.

"Wh-Who are you?" she asked me, frightened.

"Spike," I told her slowly. I looked at her, tipping my head trying to figure her out. "Who're you?"

"Anais. Anais Walker," she answered. Now, Anais looked at me, as if she was trying to figure ME out. "C-Could you help me?"

 "That depends."

"Please?" she stepped closer to me and I noticed that her bottom lip was pierced 2 times, she had her labret pierced, she had a Maddonna piercing, her nose was pierced, the bridge of her nose was pierced and she had 3 studs through her left eyebrow. Her eyes looked like they were tearing up.

"Fine. Just PLEASE don't cry. I can't STAND when girls bloody cry," I told her.

"Thank you. Thank you." I led her through my front door and she gasped. "Wow."

"Yea. Yea. Come on." I led her into my living room and told her to sit on the sofa. In the brighter light, I saw that she had several tattoos and her hair was blue and very spikey. There were a couple tattoos that caught my eye, such as the barbed wire that "cut" into her wrist and the animal scratches that was across her chest. The tank top she wore was low cut, revealing enough, but not too much and she wore a ripped jean skirt. I tore my eyes away when she looked up at me.

"Where am I?" Anais asked me. I looked at her, probably looking shocked.

"Sunnydale," I told her bluntly. She looked around my home.

"Am I safe here?" she questioned. I rose my eyebrows. She obviously knew nothing about Sunnydale.

"If you're careful, you are," I replied. She nodded slowly. Anais went to stand up, but stopped, muffling a cry of pain as she grabbed her wrist. I looked down at her. "What did you do?" She shrugged.

"I was in a fight. Um, my mom twisted it hard because I went out and got another tattoo," Anais explained.

"Your mum?" I asked confused. She nodded. I shook my head sadly.

"Is there a place around here where I could crash for a while?" 

"I think I could talk someone into taking you in. At least until you can get on your feet," I said looking down at the confused girl on my sofa.

"Really?? I'd appreciate that," Anais told me, yawning. 

"I'll be right back, Anais." I walked into my bedroom, grabbing a pillow and a blanket, before going back out into the den. "Here." She looked at me. "You can crash here for tonight. I'll talk to someone tomorrow." Slowly, Anais took the blanket and pillow from my arms.

"Thank you, Spike. I really appreciate it."

"Yea. Well,  good night." Then, I left the room, going into my bedroom to sleep myself.

The next night I talked to Buffy Summers about taking Anais in and she jumped at it, because she didn't want me eating the poor girl. As if I could, with this bloody chip in my brain.


	2. I'm Not a Stalker

I stood next to the tree outside of the Slayer's house. Ooh. I DESPISE the bloody slayer. Nonetheless, I stood outside her house and was watching Dawn's window. Dawn was Buffy's younger sister. And, in case you didn't know, Buffy is the Slayer. That bloody bint. Anyways, Anais was over to the house that night. Her and Dawn were a few years apart, but they were still close. I watched their shadows behind the curtain in Dawn's window.

            "What are you doing here, Spike?" Buffy asked me angrily, spinning me around to face her. "You'd better tell me in six words or less."

            "I was taking a walk," I thought a moment, counting the number of words I'd just said to myself, before adding, "bitch." Then, Buffy popped me one in my nose. Her and my bloody nose. That's the only thing she ever seems to aim for. "What was that for?"

            "You're standing outside my house, smoking, and looking into my sister's window," Buffy said, almost amused. I glared at her.

            "Her window is up on the second floor. As if I can see up there," I answered bitterly.

            "I don't know what you want but get off my property."

            "I told you, Slayer, I was taking a walk and your house just happened to be in between here and there."

            "Well, I suggest you get moving or I'll drive this pointy wooden stick through your heart," she threatened and just to prove her point, she punched me in the nose, again.

            "Bitch," I said loudly, holding my nose and dropping my cigarette. Then, I walked away, wishing I had gotten a look at Anais.


	3. The Crush

            "C'mon, Anais. I told you I like Ben. Now you've got to tell me who you like," Dawn pried.

            "Dawny, if I tell you, you can NOT tell anyone. Especially not your sister," Anais warned. Dawn put her hands up.

            "I solemnly swear." She took a sip of her soda.

            "Spike." Anais received a shower of soda, because Dawn spit it out when Anais gave her answer.

            "Spike? As in the vampire Spike? As in William the Bloody, Spike?" Dawn was definitely in shock. Anais just nodded. "Oh my GOD, An!" Anais felt a crimson blush creep into her cheeks. "What if Buffy finds out?"

            "Buffy WON'T find out!!" Anais exclaimed.

            "Okay. Okay."

            "You're not going to tell her, are you?" Anais became a little uneasy.

            "Of course not, An. If I told her about Spike, you could easily tell Ben about me liking him." Dawn had a point.

            "Fine. Let's shake on it, just to be safe." With that, they shook.


	4. Missing Passions Because of HER

            "Where did it go!?" I yelled to no one in particular. I was looking for my TV remote. **_Passions_** was on and I was missing it. Don't laugh at me. It's all I had to watch while Giles had me locked in his bathtub. Because of that, I am hooked.  "BLOODY HELL!!" Just then, there was loud banging on my door. Then, it flew open. "Slayer."

            "Spike." It was Buffy, of course. 

            "What do YOU want? You're IN my home, now."

            "I was taking a walk," Buffy started. "This just happened to be in between here and there."

            "Bitch," I mumbled.

            "What was that Spike?"

            "Nothing." I continued looking for my remote, although the bloody slayer stood in the middle of my house. I threw pillows and blankets, looking for it. I stopped what I was doing quickly, spinning to face my rival. "What do you want, Slayer?"

            "Just thought I'd stop by to say hello." I could just tell she wanted something.

            "Whatever it is, it can wait. I'm missing **_Passions_** as we speak," I told her.

            "Oh. Poor Spikey," she mocked me babyishly. I turned on her so fast, she jumped back. I would've had a hold of her, but she would've killed me if I'd done so. Also, the bloody chip in my brain wouldn't let me.

            "Get out."

            "But why, Spike?"

            "This is MY home. Leave."

            "Not until you tell me why you were trying to look into my sister's room," Buffy told me. I groaned heavily. I was DEFINITELY not in the mood.

            "I told you, I just happened to pass by your house."

            "Yea? So you just 'happened' to smoke, like, eight cigarettes while passing by and leaving the butts next to the tree, below Dawn's window?" she got me there.

            "Maybe." She popped me in the nose again. "What the bloody hell?!"

            "Maybe you ought to learn how to tell the truth, Spike. What were you doing at my house?"

            "I told you I was taking a walk." Again, she punched me in the nose. "You bloody bint! Lay off my nose!"

            "Not until you tell me what you were doing at my house."

            "Shouldn't you be out patrolling, Slayer?" I wanted her OUT of my house.

            "Just like you shouldn't be spying on my sister."

            "I wasn't bloody spying on your sister!" I was extremely mad at this point. Especially after she punched me in the nose, yet again. Now my nose was bleeding.

            "I'm going to leave now, but I'll be back after patrol and you had better have a good reason for spying on my sister." The Slayer then walked out of my house, a stake in hand.

            "Bitch." Just then, I found my remote, lying on the floor near where Buffy had been standing. I flipped my show on. "Bloody hell! The stupid bint made me miss my show!" Now, I was even angrier. I truly hate the Slayer.


	5. Anais is Jumped Kinda

            Anais was walking home alone and it was after sunset. That's just something you don't do, especially in Sunnydale. She heard something behind her and spun around.

            "Who's there?" she called out, after hearing it again. From behind her, this time, she heard a garbage can get knocked over. Her heart was beating fast and she was getting scared. Something she didn't do often. "Hello?"

            "Anais!" It was a man's voice – and it had a British accent.

            "Oh. Spike." She was relieved.

            "Watch out!" he cried, swinging his fist behind her. Anais heard it connect with a jaw and then, she was knocked down.

            "You bloody vamp!" Spike yelled at the other vampire. The two vamps got into a fist fight and then, out of nowhere, Buffy appeared and drove a stake through the vampire's heart. Spike was breathing heavily and wiped his nose with his wrist. "Bloody hell."

            "What were you doing walking alone, An?" Buffy questioned Anais, very disappointed.

            "I just got done with band practice and there was a fight, so I had no way of getting home. So, I had to walk," Anais explained.

            "Two vampires just jumped you, you know."

            "Now hold – " Spike began, but Anais cut him off.

            "Only one. Spike came in time to, um, save me?" An wasn't sure if that was the correct way of putting it. "He told me to watch out and then he began fighting the vampire and I got knocked down in the process, but because of the other one, not Spike." Spike looked at Anais in awe. She was sticking up for him? 

            "Really?" Buffy seemed to be in just as much shock as Spike was.

            "Uh-huh. Seriously, if it wasn't for Spike, I just might be dead right now." Buffy shot a glare at Spike.

            "I'll walk you home, Anais," Buffy told her.

            "But don't you have to patrol?" Anais asked her.

            "Yes, but I can walk you home – "

            "I can walk her home," Spike spoke up. Anais' eyes lighted up.

            "No. Never," Buffy told him.

            "C'mon, Buff. It'll be easier for you. You can finish patrolling and Spike can walk me home. He's a vampire, so if another one attacks me, he can fight it off." Buffy looked at her, curiously.

            "Fine. Just this once." She turned on Spike. "If anything happens to her, I will find you and put this stake through your heart. Got it?" Buffy was holding the stake to his chest as she spoke.

            "I got it, Slayer. No damage will be done to her. Don't worry. C'mon, Anais." With that, Spike followed Anais, enjoying his view the whole time.


	6. Walked Home

            "Well, thanks for walking me home, Spike," Anais said, as they stood on her front step.

            "Anytime, Puppet," Spike replied. "Well, maybe not anytime, because of Buffy, but you know. Anytime possible." An smiled.

            "I get it." They stood in an awkward silence for a moment. Then, Anais moved closer to Spike, leaning in to kiss him, and for a moment, Spike felt like time stopped as he felt her warm breath near his mouth, before Anais's lips met his briefly. It felt like forever to Spike. He wasn't sure what to say and didn't get to say anything before An turned away, to go inside. "G'night, Spike." Then, she entered her house, leaving him on her front step.

            "G'night, Anais," he mumbled, before leaving her step.

            "Dammit!" Spike cried, entering his crypt. When An kissed him, he just stood there, frozen. "Why didn't I kiss her back?" Spike was pissed off at himself. "I could have kissed her. I might have been invited inside and then…" he couldn't think about it, because his pants were already feeling tight from beginning the thought. "Bloody hell." Spike walked into his room, where he removed his clothes, falling onto his bed in exhaustion.

            Anais sat staring at her computer screen. She couldn't believe that she had kissed Spike. William the Bloody. A vampire. It gave her a rush that she had never experienced before. No tattoos or piercings could possibly do this to her. An was almost wishing she had invited him inside. But it was probably a good thing she hadn't, because Buffy probably would have found out and then she'd be in big trouble.

            Anais gave up on her computer and went to bed, instead.


	7. Who Can it Be?

"Man. It's a good thing that Buffy came along and saved you last night, huh, Anais?" Xander said, as he sat next to her in Giles' Magick Shop.

"Buffy didn't save me," An stated plainly, causing everyone to gasp. "Spike did."

"What? No way." Willow seemed shocked.

"Way. I was really busy last night," Buffy stepped in, entering the shop. "There's a changling in town." Anais froze, her breath catching. "You okay, An?"

"Yea. I'm fine," she breathed. Xander looked at her, concern in his eyes. "I've gotta go. Band practice." With that, Anais got up and left the shop quickly.

"Well. That was weird," Xander said, matter-of-factly. Willow agreed. Just then, Giles came out of one of the storage rooms.

"Wasn't Anais here?" he asked, wiping his glasses with a small white cloth.

"Band practice," Willow and Buffy answered in unison. They didn't believe An. Something just wasn't right.

Anais ran to Spike's crypt and banged on the door. She waited a moment before knocking again.

"What the bloody hell do you want?" Spike cried, before even knowing who it was. When he looked into Anais' eyes, he was taken aback, his breath catching. "Oh. I'm so sorry, An." She just smiled as he stepped aside to let her in.

"I'm sorry, Spike. I know it's in the middle of the day and all, but I needed to talk."

"It's fine. Really." He gestured towards the couch for her to sit and he sat next to her. "What's the matter, Pet?"

"Buffy says there's a changling in town," Anais told him.

"So? There's always a new creature here," he replied. An hesitated. "Do you know something about this changling?"

"No. Of course not," she answered, a little too quickly. Spike squinted his eyes slightly. Then, without warning, Anais kissed him, her tongue entering his mouth immediately. He had no choice but to kiss her back. Not that he cared, mind you. She straddled him, still kissing him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Spike began to slide his hands up her shirt, when his crypt door swung open. Anais jumped off Spike, her eyes flashing.

"Anais!?"


	8. Attack of the Changling

"Anais!?" It was Buffy. "What the hell are you doing here with a damn vampire?"

'Okay. That's not Buffy,' Spike thought, squinting his eyes at the person before them.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Anais asked, obviously shocked.

"Looking for you." Buffy stated.

"But why?"

"Because I need you home."

"_Home_?" Anais thought this was a little strange. Her home wasn't at Buffy's place. She had her own damn apartment.

"Dammit, Anais! I need you **home**!!!" Just then, An realized something. This wasn't Buffy. It was –

Suddenly Buffy changed from Buffy to Dawn.

"Come on, Anais. Buffy needs you right now." Spike shook his head, confused. Then it hit him. It was the bloody changling.

"I'm NOT going with you!"

"Oh yes you are!" Dawn yelled, lunging at Anais, as she turned into a wolf. The wolf growled at An as it landed on her, knocking her to the floor and standing on top of her.

Then, the wolf lunged at Anais' throat.


	9. DUN DUN DUN

When I saw the wolf lunge at Anais' throat, I jumped off the couch quickly, kicking it off of An. It yelped as it hit the chair. The wolf laid on the floor, whimpering, as it morphed into an older woman. The woman had black hair that was graying in some spots and green eyes. As I looked closer at the woman, I realized she looked like someone. Someone I knew. I just couldn't put my finger on it. Anais quickly got off the floor, looking at me. Her eyes were watering and she came over to me, grabbing my arm and holding on to me. She laced her fingers with mine and I gently kissed her forehead. I looked down into those amazing eyes of hers and it hit me.

That was when I realized it. I figured out who the woman looked like.

Anais.

The changling was Anais' mother.


	10. Severed

"The changling is your bloody _mum_?" I asked Anais, in utter shock. She nodded. "You _lied_ to me?" Again, she nodded. "Bloody Hell." Her mum was passed out on the floor. The kick must have really hurt her.

"I'm sorry, Spike. I just didn't want you to tell Buffy," An whispered.

"What? Did you think she'd be more pissed off if you told her than if you didn't?" I asked her, about ready to scream. Before she had a chance to answer, Anais fell to the floor, eyes shut, not moving. "An? Anais?" I then noticed that her mum was gone, but there was a Peruvian boomslang in her place. Without thinking, I picked up my coffee table and crushed the snake with it. It was severed in half, dying immediately, and it turned back into Anais' mother, still severed. I looked away, sickened, glad An couldn't see this.

I bent over and picked Anais up and, after covering myself up to protect myself from the sun, I ran to the Magic Box, where Buffy and everyone was.

Buffy, Willow and Xander rushed the limp Anais to the hospital, leaving me under Giles' watchful eye. None of the believed me. Not even Dawn. Bloody Hell. I was in for it.

A/N: A Peruvian boomslang is a snake that paralyzes its victims. I read a story by Stephen King where the main character had been bitten by one. This particular snake supposedly went extinct in the 1920's but I don't know if that's for sure or not. Like I said, I got this snake from a Stephen King tale (he's one of my heroes). More on the Peruvian boomslang in the next chappy!


	11. The End is There

The Peruvian boomslang only paralyzed Anais and she was pretty much back to normal in a month. But, there was one problem. Some of the medications counteracted with the snake's venom and it poisoned her. Anais was dying.

I went to see An after she got her mobility back, She was still in the hospital, although she wanted to go home. I sat on the bed, taking her hand in mine.

"I'm so sorry, Spike. I should've told you," she apologized, her voice raspy. I could tell she was in pain. And scared. She coughed harshly.

"It's okay, Love." She smiled softly.

"Buffy still doesn't believe you about killing my mom when she was a snake, does she?" An asked. I shook my head. "I'm sorry." Again, An coughed.

"Don't be, Love." I looked at her, her stark green eyes piercing mine. It pained me to see her this way.

"I'm so scared, Spike," Anais admitted.

"Why?"

"I don't know what's going to happen when I die. I'm an Atheist, you know. So, I don't believe." Wow. I didn't know that. I thought she was a witch. Like Willow. I kissed her fingers. "I don't know if this is too out of line, Spike, but I love you." Dammit. Now I was on the verge of crying.

"No. It's not too out of line. I love you too." Her face started to glow. Now, she looked like a human being. "Now, tell me why your mim was after you." Anais sighed heavily.

"It was because I left. I knew her secret and she knew I was going to wind up in Sunnydale, because she was psychic, too. She also knew about Buffy, because my father was killed by her." Anais coughed.

"Was he a changling, too?"

"No. A vampire." I was confused. An coughed again. A few blood droplets appeared on her hand. She quickly wiped her hand on her nightgown, hoping to hide it from me. But, it didn't work. Remember, I'm a vampire so I can smell the damn blood.

"So, wouldn't you be one?"

"No. You of all people should know it doesn't quite work that way," she told me. "Actually, I'm a changling, too. I just choose not to use my 'ability.'" Anais did the finger quotation marks when she said 'ability'.

"I'm sorry about your mum."

"Don't be. We never got along. She hated me. I wouldn't change. She wanted me to be just like her and use my ability and change. But I refused to. I have never used it, so I don't even know if I _could_ change. And then, there's the piercings and tattoos. She _hated_ them. More than anything. So, I'm actually kinda glad." An sat in thought. "I'm really glad she won't be at my funeral." Then, she started crying and coughing, so I took her into my arms. After a few hours, she fell asleep, never to wake again.

A/N: Well, the whole thing on how Anais got her mobility back after a month or so was also taken from the Stephen King story, because that's what happened to the main character. (If anyone's interested in the Stephen King story, it's in one of the story collections called **Everything's Eventual** and the story is called **"Autopsy Room 4"** or something of that sort. Very good...) I also made up the whole venom-counteracting-with-meds thing. I don't know if that's even possible. So... on to the next - and final - chapter!


	12. The Final G'Bye

**Eerie whispers trapped beneath my pillow**

**Won't let me sleep, your memories**

**I know you're in this room, I'm sure I heard you sigh**

**Floating inbetween where our worlds collide**

**It scares the hell our of me **

**And the end is all I can see**

**And it scares the hell out of me**

**And the end is all I can see**

**I know the moment's near**

**And there's nothing we can do**

**Look through a faithless eye**

**Are you afraid to die?  
It scares the hell out of me**

**And the end is all I can see**

**And it scares the hell out of me**

**And the end is all I can see**

**It scares the hell out of me**

**And the end is all I can see**

**And it scares the hell out of me**

**And the end is all I can see...**

"Thoughts of a Dying Atheist" by Muse. I found it amongst all of An's CDs. It was amazing. Dawn finally believed me (Anais must have talked with her about the incident) and she let me have all of Anais' CDs, before her bandmates got to'em, since I listen to the same music she does. Or, did. I saw the name of the song and listened to it and read the lyrics. I decided it was definitely **her** song and asked to have it played at her funeral. It was.

The CDs Anais had had included Linkin Park, Lostprophets, Slipknot, 311, Good Charlotte, Def Tones, Dead Kennedys, the Clash, the Cure, Taking Back Sunday, the Gorillaz, and, obviously, Muse.

Anais is missed and always will be. I hope she is no longer scared and got the answer of "what happens?"

Buffy, the bloody bint, still doesn't believe me about killing An's mother, while she was the snake. But, forget her. I can just hear Anais telling me that and singing Muse's song "Ruled by Secrecy" to me.

**Repress and restrain, steal the pressure and the pain**

**Wash the blood off your hands, this time she won't understand**

**Change in the air and they'll hide everywhere**

**No one knows who's in control**

**You're working so hard and you're never in charge**

**Your death creates success rebuild and suppress**

**Change in the air and they'll hide everywhere**

**And no ones knows who's in control**

Anais did just that. She sang that Muse song to me, one night in a dream. It was her way of telling me she was alright and that her question was answered.

Well, g'bye, Anais. I will never forget you, Love.

A/N: Well, this wraps up my very first Fan Fic. (In case you hadn't noticed in these last 2 chapters that I was on a bit of a Muse binge. lol.) I hope you enjoyed it and I think I just might do another one. Expect a variety of Fan Fix. Maybe some **Andromeda** and I have a **Gargoyles** Fan Fic started. So I'm not gonna write about any one specific show or whatever. Hope you come back and read some more!!!

-Ley-


End file.
